Improvement in potato-diggers



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G. W. ADAMS AND JOHN R. HOPPER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

Lezers Patent No. 94,693, dated septanber 14,1869. f l.

IMPROVEIWENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lame.

d G, whereby the contents of the To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known thatwe, G. `W. ADAMS and J orrN R. HOPPER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawiugs,.making part of this specifiiion, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention, with. portions broken away;

lFigure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, showing parts in elevation;

Figure 3 is an'inverted view of the shovel and contiguous parts; i

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the discharge spout I.; and

Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same.

Our invention consists chiefly in improvements upon a device patented by J OHN It. HOPPER, March 30, 1869, and to enable others to understand the same we will describe its construction and operation.

The main frame A, iig. 1, we support upon truckwheels in front and driving-wheels, C, in the rear, the side-bars of said frame being located outside the wheels, as shown.

Within the frame A we use the auxiliary frame D, resting upon the driving-axle and supporting the shovel E, and endless apron-frame, F. a

rEhe frame D` and its incumbent parts are thus capable of being swung about the main axle by lever l and its connections, which raise and lower the shovel, as indicated by dotted lines in iig. 2.

In front of the shovel E we use the plows J ,.gs. 1, 2, and 3the cutting edges of which are rounded to prevent the vines from clinging to them.

vThese plows are adjustable vertically upon the f vframe D, and are set slightly within the cutting-line of the shovel, as seen in fig. 3; they cut away the side of the hill, `leaving only the central portion to be taken up by the shovel, and also divide thevines between the rows, thereby clearing the track for the shank of the shovel.

Between the shovel ,and the plows we `provide gauge-wheels K, revolving on studs fixed to the lower end of the vertically-adjustable bars k.

These wheels follow the surface which has been levelled by the plows, and govern the depth of cut of the shovel, relieving the operator from the necessity of controlling it by the lever l. f,

The shovel E consists of a bottom e, igs. 2 and 3, and side-plates or shanks d, the latter being bent obliquely outward for a short distance from the cutting-edge, as shown in iig. 3, for the purpose of increasing the width of the endless apron b and riddle thorough screening. l

The endless. apron b, figs. 1, 2, and 3, made with cross-slats secured to side chains or ropes, in the usualmanner, runs over a roller, c, at the lower end of the frame F, and pulleys c at its upper end, which pulleys are secured to the shaft r, boxed upon said frame, and driven from the pulley a, upon the main axle, by a crossed rbelt, shown in dotted lines in iig. l.

This apron carries the earth, together with the vines and potatoes, from the -shovel over the inclined riddle G.

Riddle G is suspended upon frames F and D, immediately unde'r the upper half of the endless apron b by links d', iig. 1, and receives a vibrating motion transversely to the inotion of the apron, from cranks upon the shaft IL which shaft runs in boxes secured to frame F, and is driven by lbevel-gears from shaft 'r'. Rods-fgs. 1, 2, and 3, connect these cranks to cross-bars upon the riddle. 1

Immediately at the upper end of the riddle the spout I is provided, to receive and discharge the potatoes as they are drawn up by the endless apron, which spout partakes of the motion of the riddle, and has a tilting bottom, i, iig. 4, pivoted at its centre longitudinally. A

The object of this arrangement is to drop the potatoes always upon the worked side of; the field, whereby it is not necessary to move them upon the return of the machine in the next row.

The cutter p, figs. 2 and 5, secured to the rear edge of the spout I, and partaking of its vibratory motion, severs the potatoes that might cling to the vines, and also cuts away any vines or weeds that may adhere to` the bars of the apron.

The operation of our invention is as follows:

The' plows J having separated the' vines and cut awaythe side of the hill, the shovel E, adjusted to a Vsuitable depth, excavates the remainder of the4 hill,

and forces it upon the endless apron b, by which'it is drawn upon the riddle G.

The transverse vibrations of the riddle for its whole length thoroughly screen ont the dirt, leaving the potatoes upon the bars of the riddle and vines upon the apron.

As fast as the potatoes arrive at the extremity of the riddle they fall into Vthe spout I, and are discharged upon the ground at the side of the machine, -while the vines are carried up and dropped at the rear.

It is plain that theframe D and its connections are easily shifted vertically, since the weight Yof the frame F at the rear of the axle' tends to balance the weight of the shovel and contiguous parts.

There is also an, evident advantage in vibrating hill receive a more.

the riddle bodily instead of pivoting it at one end, and also in making the discharge-spout a part of said lriddle.

forming its work, and the peculiar form ofthe shovelshanks d increases its efficiency as well as that of the screening-apparatus,

` What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

1. The laterally tilting bottom z', of the box I, whereby the potatoes may be delivered upon eithei lside of the machine, as set forth.

2. The adjustable dividing-plows J, in combination with the shovel Ev and frame D.

3. The adjustable gaugewheels K, in combination The plows J materially assist the shovel in per- Witnesses:

A. H. yBunnies, WM. S. LOUGHBOROUGH. 

